The England and Wales Cricket Board today announced a 16-man squad to tour New Zealand this winter.

With Andrew Caddick returning to the squad and Andrew Flintoff retained after playing in all three Tests before Christmas, Martyn Ball and Richard Johnson are the players omitted from the party which toured India.

Ball and Johnson were called up into the squad for India after Andrew Caddick and Robert Croft chose not to tour following heightened fears about security in the wake of the September 11 attacks on New York.

Croft, who was named in the original 16-man Test squad announced last August, is not included in the squad for New Zealand. James Ormond has been included subject to passing a fitness test on a shoulder injury.

Chairman of Selectors, David Graveney, said: "In picking this squad, we were keen to retain the nucleus of the team which exceeded many people's expectations in India before Christmas in drawing two Test Matches and losing one.

"Andrew Flintoff made a significant impact with the ball on the sub-continent and he thoroughly deserves to retain his place in the squad. Andrew Caddick is a high-class bowler of proven pedigree at Test level and we are delighted to have him back in both the Test and One-Day squad.

"It was always our intention to reduce the number of spinners in the party from three to two for the second leg of this winter's tour as we expect to encounter more seamer-friendly surfaces in New Zealand.

"While Robert Croft remains in our thoughts for the future, Richard Dawson showed great promise in India and we are keen to give him an opportunity to develop his international career still further."

England Test Squad to tour New Zealand - 2002

1.  Nasser Hussain (Captain)  Essex             28.3.68
2.  Usman Afzaal              Nottinghamshire    9.6.77
3.  Mark Butcher              Surrey            23.8.72
4.  Andrew Caddick            Somerset          21.11.68
5.  Richard Dawson            Yorkshire          4.8.80
6.  Andrew Flintoff           Lancashire         6.12.77
7.  James Foster              Essex             15.4.80
8.  Ashley Giles              Warwickshire      19.3.73
9.  Warren Hegg               Lancashire        23.2.68
10. Matthew Hoggard           Yorkshire         31.12.76
11. James Ormond              Leicestershire    20.8.77
12. Mark Ramprakash           Surrey             5.9.69
13. Graham Thorpe             Surrey             1.8.69
14. Marcus Trescothick        Somerset          25.12.75
15. Michael Vaughan           Yorkshire         29.10.74
16. Craig White               Yorkshire         16.12.69

Coach - Duncan Fletcher
Assistant Coach - Graham Dilley
Operations Manager - Phil Neale
Physiotherapist - Dean Conway
Physiologist - Nigel Stockill
Media Relations Manager - Andrew Walpole
Scorer - Malcolm Ashton

© ECB 2002